Dear Residents, Representatives, Family and Friends of St Basil’s,

I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the vulnerable nature of aged care residents. Many of them have specific dietary requirements, and some are on a modified texture of food and fluid due to medical conditions. It is of utmost importance that we take all necessary precautions to ensure the well-being and safety of our beloved residents.

I urge you, as family members and representatives, to refrain from sharing food and fluids with other residents during your visits. We understand that the sense of community at St Basil’s is strong, and the desire to offer comfort and companionship to other residents is natural. However, sharing food without proper knowledge of individual dietary needs can be harmful and even life-threatening to some residents.

To minimise any potential harm to your loved ones and others who live in St Basil’s homes, we kindly request that you seek guidance from our registered nurses before offering any homemade food or fluids to any resident. Our dedicated nursing staff will be more than willing to assist you and ensure that the provided items align with the resident’s specific dietary requirements and medical needs.

While food is one of the great joys of life, it can also cause significant problems particularly for vulnerable people such as the elderly, if not handled, stored or managed appropriately. We are committed to upholding the safety and well-being of all residents at St Basil’s, and your cooperation in this matter is of paramount importance. By adhering to these guidelines, we can work together to maintain a nurturing and secure environment for everyone under our care.

In order for us to provide an environment where residents can enjoy the food of their choice in the safest way, we have the following requirements regarding food brought in by visitors. We ask that you work with us by adhering to these requirements.

 

Food Prepared or Cooked by Family or Friends

>Care must be taken in food preparation to ensure good hygiene practices and sanitised working.

>Cooked food should be cooled quickly in the refrigerator and kept in a covered container to prevent contamination.

>Cold foods must be kept cool during the drive from your home to the aged care home.

>Hot food can be placed in a thermal container that retains the heat of the food for the journey to the aged care home.

>Food brought into the home must be labelled with the following information:

-the name of the food item (e.g. banana cake)

-a list of all ingredients

-the date it was prepared (may be an earlier date than the date brought in)

-the name of the resident it was brought in for

 

>You must fill in the required information in the Resident Food Register. If you cannot find the Register please ask one of the staff members.

>If the food brought in requires refrigeration please place it in your loved one’s refrigerator or one of the refrigerators available to families. Ensure the food is labelled as per dot point 5.

>Please note – if your loved one is cognitive they should be encouraged to discard any uneaten food 48 hours after preparation. If your loved one is not cognitive they will have the food disposed of by staff after this time.

 

Food Purchased in Packaging

>Where the food item has been purchased and is in a package it must contain the manufacturer’s label, including a ‘use-by-date’ or ‘best before’.

>If the food brought in requires refrigeration please place it in the resident’s refrigerator or one of the refrigerators available to residents.

>Please note – if your loved one is cognitive they should be advised that the food should be discarded once the ‘use-by-date’ or ‘best before’ date has been exceeded. Where your loved one is not cognitive, the food will be discarded by care staff or Food Services staff once the ‘use-by-date’ or ‘best before’ date has been exceeded.

 Food Purchased – Not in Packaging

>Where the food purchased does not come in packaging (e.g. a purchased vanilla slice), it is your responsibility to either ensure that your loved one consumes the item at the time (i.e. while you are present) or to add a label to indicate the name of the food item, the date of purchase, and the place of purchase.

>Please note – if your loved one is cognitive they should be encouraged to discard any uneaten food 48 hours after preparation. If your loved one is not cognitive they will have the food disposed of by staff after this time.

Please ask reception for food labels.

 

Remember, in the interests of safety, food is not to be offered to any other resident without checking with care staff first. This is to ensure issues such as food allergies and texture modifications are safely managed.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter or anything else related to St Basils’ homes, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or the management team. We are here to support you.

I appreciate your understanding and cooperation in this critical matter.

You can learn more about aged care food safety and the dining experience by reading the fact sheets provided by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the Food Safety Information Council;

>Nutrition and texture modified food and drinks: eating and drinking when you have problems with swallowing: https://bit.ly/3LpW7T5

>Supporting safe and enjoyable mealtimes for people with swallowing difficulties: https://bit.ly/3L1Yrhx

>Food Safety Tips: https://bit.ly/3Khhk0n

Yours sincerely,

Diana Gutkovich
Director of Care, Quality and Risk